Blast from the past
by Warrior from beyond
Summary: Piccolo is reminded of a world he would rather forget when his brother is brought wounded to CC. Please RR
1. Chapter 1

The stars twinkled playfully at the two seventeen-year-old males. The older of the two placed his thick green arm over his younger brother's black eyes.

"Hey, don't" the younger laughed and shoved his twin's arm away.

"No" the other teased covering his brother's eyes again. "You can't see the stars."

The younger one lifted himself to his left shoulder and placed his arm over the other's eyes.

"There now Piccolo, you can't see the stars."

"But now neither can you Niroco" Piccolo pointed out.

Niroco fell back to his back and stared thoughtfully up at the stars. He reached up and ran his long green fingers over his bald head, removing the last of the confetti. He glanced slyly over at Piccolo then attacked him and landed a fist to Piccolo's face. Piccolo swung his left fist, knocking Niroco back just enough to release Piccolo's other arm and he feinted a right punch before he slammed his left hard in Niroco's side.

Niroco gave a soft whimper as he fell to the side and lay breathing heavily for a long moment. Finally he grinned over at Piccolo and draped his arm over Piccolo's chest.

"I love you brother" he said softly.

"I love you, too, Niroco."

The two lay quietly in the soft grass and focused on the stars.

"Niroco" Piccolo finally whispered. "Niroco."

"Yeah Piccolo" Niroco murmured sleepily.

"When I leave-."

"Can we just not talk about this Piccolo?" Niroco demanded all sleepiness gone; he stood to his feet and crossed his powerful arms across his board chest. Piccolo rose to his feet and stood and inch taller than his brother. He crossed his arms in a mirror move yet had anyone been looking they would have already known that Piccolo was the stronger of the two.

"We have put this off long enough Niroco. When they leave tomorrow, I won't be there. I'm leaving Dodge tonight. Do you want to come with me?"

Niroco stared silently at his brother for a long moment before he lowered his head. Piccolo gave a soft crying sound as he realized his brother's intent.

"They need us here Piccolo. Without us, it will take a lot longer to set up and tear down everything. Besides, they are our family. They have raised us since we were little children. We owe them our lives."

"Niroco" Piccolo cried then paused to calm down. "Every child leaves their family when they become adults. I'm tired of being gawked at. I'm tired of having to hide my power. I'm tired of being cooped up all the time."

Niroco smiled sadly. "Gypsies do not do well inside stone walls."

Piccolo shook his head in agreement then closed his eyes painfully. When he forced his eyes open, Niroco still stood before him with sympathy in his soft eyes. Piccolo stepped up and tightly embraced his brother.

"Good-bye Niroco. Tell the others I loved them."

Niroco nodded then headed away from his beloved brother. Piccolo watched until the wind caught and blew painfully into his eyes. When he opened them this time though, his brother was gone.

He turned and blasted toward the sky marveling at the power he had. He flew hard and fast toward a small village and zoomed through it while the villagers screamed in fear and surprise. He laughed when he returned to the sky. Finally he flew off to find a peaceful place to sleep for the night. The place he came upon was beautiful with a huge lake reflecting the big night sky. Piccolo walked through the water and walked back onto the shore.

"This is perfect" he said.

He settled down on the sand and fell asleep with a slight smile tugging on his lips.

Piccolo jerked awake hors after he fell asleep. Habit had him up and ready to start the machines within minutes. He reached up and rubbed the sand off his face and realized where he was with a pause. He looked around his little resting place and watched the water reflect the every lightening sky.

"I forgot to get anything" he suddenly murmured. He glanced quickly down at his watch. He smiled quickly knowing that he had plenty of time to fly down to the site and get his things. He levitated then blasted across the water.

"Wooh woo!" she screamed. "I got to teach Niroco to do this."

He rolled in mid-air and laughed as he blasted off toward the site where the carnival had stopped for the weekend. When he reached near the site, his heart almost stopped.

Just above the site black smoke reached toward the sky greedily stealing away the light morning sky. Piccolo froze and just stood staring into the smoke.

"My family" he screamed.

He blasted forward toward the smoke and landed lightly on the ground by the site. He slammed to his knees staring out over the burned ground. Everything had been burned to the ground. Pieces of the rides were melted to the ground and fused together. Strewn across the melted metal lay burned clothes and several bodies burned beyond recognition. Piccolo forced himself to his feet and stumbled through the burned mess. The fire had burned down to embers that licked hungrily at Piccolo's feet but he didn't notice.

"Niroco" he cried. "Momma, Daddy, 'Becca."

He stumbled over a body and fell to the ground and just lay there sobbing softly against the blackened ground. He gagged on the smell of burned flesh and the taste of ashy ground that flew into his mouth.

"Niroco" he cried forcing himself to his feet again. "Brother."

He forced his feet to move over to what was once his brother's favorite rid and another sob was jerked form this throat.

"'Becca" he whispered knelling beside the little human he once called sister. Her body was covered with flesh drawn up with burns. Piccolo drew the little blonde close in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth.

"'Becca" Piccolo crooned. Gently he laid her back down on the ground and removed his shirt and covered her with it. Slowly he rose to his feet and stumbled away form his little sister. Then he saw his brother's burned clothes. Piccolo walked over in a daze and knelt and ran his fingers gently over Niroco's favorite uniform. He closed his black eyes then opened them and walked away toward the building where he had grown up. The fire had claimed the majority of it but Piccolo walked in and grabbed up what he could. A mostly clean uniform and a long flowing white cape. He pulled his father's turban out of the burned closet and placed it on his bald head. He quickly dressed in his brother's uniform an hooked on his mother's cape. He slipped his green feet into his own brown boots. Once fully dressed and with memories of his family dancing in the back of his mind, Piccolo looked around for something that would remind him of Rebecca. He knelt and gently picked up the doll his sister had loved so much. It's little face had been painted green and was now soot smudged. It's soft brunette hair had been burned in patches on the scalp and the little blue dress was entirely burned through. Piccolo rummaged through the burned remains and pulled out a little green dress and quickly dressed the little doll. With the doll tucked safely under his arm, Piccolo stepped outside an away from the burned ground toward a tall tree. Silenly he flew up an grabbed the bag he had hid there from Niroco. He opened it and looked in at all of Niroco's most precious belongings then added the doll and closed it back.

Without another look back, he blasted off to begin his new life. "Good-bye my family" he whispered. "Rest in peace."


	2. Chapter 2

Blast from the Past

Chapter 2

Piccolo flew hard, far away from the world he knew so well. Everything he had loved was getting farther and farther behind him. He swallowed hard. "Well Piccolo" he growled to himself, "looks like we're returning there after all."

**Flashback**

**_Two boys ran hard through the alleyways, ignoring the shouts as they passed adults who screamed at the color of their skin. Both boys were dark green with big pointed ears. Their black eyes met for a second and they leapt as one over a large dumpster and crunched down. The older, larger boy moved quickly to protect his brother. Their ears twitched slightly to check for sound. The younger boy tightened his grip on the bag pressed against his chest._**

_**When no sound alerted them to anyone's presence, the oldest boy started forward slightly twitching his ears for any sound. Suddenly he heard the sound of a bat swinging but was quick enough in moving and was hit across the face.**_

"_**Get up you little bastards!" a snarling voice growled. "How dare you steal from me?"**_

"_**It was ours first" the oldest boy growled rising to his feet and glaring. **_

_**The sleek boy in front of him grinned showing his perfect white teeth. "Now why you got to lie to me like that huh? Just give it back and I won't hit you with this bat no more." He raised the bat threateningly and glowered down at the younger boys. The older boy simply stood there, nose to stomach with the older teen and glared back. **_

"_**Why you-"before the teen could finish his sentence, the younger boy lunged over his brother and attacked. As soon as the teen was laying on the ground in surprise, the older boy grabbed his brother and ran. **_

_**End Flashback**_

Piccolo shook his head, he wouldn't return to the streets. "Too many memories," he murmured. Pain welled up in his chest, as there was no answer, no echo. "My brother, my little shadow."

Piccolo forced the memories from his head as he continued to fly across the ocean. He was return to the land where he grew up; one couldn't just wallow away in memories. Even if he wasn't on the streets. There were people everywhere. Piccolo frowned; he would have to find a place where there weren't so many people.

Flashback

_**Piccolo turned toward the front of the carnival as a large group of people entered. His black eyes widened in fear and he took a step back. **_

"_**Too many" he whispered.**_

"_**Too many people" came the echo from behind him.**_

_**Piccolo moved in front of his little brother and tensed up before **__**Niroco grabbed his hand and held on tightly. Piccolo nodded moving to protect and shield his younger brother. **_

"_**Boys?"**_

_**Piccolo and Niroco turned to face the man frightened. They knew his voice with ease, he was their protector, and he was the one who had removed them from the streets. They swallowed hard and stared up at the man. **_

"_**Too many people."**_

"_**Too many."**_

_**The man nodded his head slightly and smiled for his two boys. "It is okay my boys. The people will not harm you. You will be safely away from them. You don't mind the others."**_

"_**Not many others."**_

"_**Not many at all."**_

"_**Okay boys just stay by me tonight."**_

_**End flashback**_

Piccolo shook his head. He had to clear his mind of the memories; it hurt too badly to remember. "Of all the days to remember, I had to remember the very first." He closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax moving close to the water. He skimmed the surface of the water then lifted up again. Flying hard as he moved through the air, Piccolo finally forced the thoughts of his past from his mind and focused only on the training he had gleaned from the streets.

**AN: Well, that the second chapter. Lots of memories. Poor Piccolo.**


End file.
